Diving masks are generally used by scuba divers and skin divers to facilitate viewing of their surroundings while beneath the surface of the water. A conventional diving mask includes a frame having an opening in which a window or lens is mounted. A flexible skirt is also attached to the frame and extends outwardly therefrom. The flexible skirt is designed to sealingly fit along the face of the diver and generally surround the nose and eyes of the diver. The arrangement of the frame, lens and skirt create an air pocket between the diver's eyes and the lens to facilitate viewing of the underwater environment.
While diving, the pressure exerted against the diver's body changes rapidly as the diver changes depth below the surface. This external pressure can create extreme discomfort for the diver if his or her internal pressure is not generally equalized with the external pressure. Soft tissue areas, such as ears, are particularly susceptible to any difference in external and internal pressure, and can cause pain to the diver if the pressures are not equalized.
Often, it is helpful for the diver to plug his or her nose, while gently creating internal pressure by blowing against the blockage. However, with some of the newer mask designs, it can be difficult for the diver to squeeze his or her nose. Some masks incorporate expanded frames or rigid plastic areas that render it difficult to comfortably reach one's nose. This is particularly true in scuba diving when the diver also has a fairly large regulator grasped in his or her mouth.
It would be advantageous to create an equalization system easily accessible to the fingers of a diver.